Mikhail Prokhorov, owner of the New Jersey Nets, talks to reporters before an NBA basketball game between the Nets and the Utah Jazz, Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011, in Newark, N.J. Prokhorov said he has told the team to end discussions on the Carmelo Anthony deal.

Denver Nuggets small forward Carmelo Anthony (15) on the bench in the 3rd quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder January 19, 2011 at Pepsi Center. John Leyba, The Denver Post

Whether he was afraid of rejection from Carmelo Anthony or simply fed up with the power play between his Nets and the Nuggets, New Jersey owner Mikhail Prokhorov said he’s done trying to deal for Melo. Prokhorov won’t be flying to Denver today to make a personal sales pitch, as had been planned.

“There comes a time when the price is simply too expensive,” the Russian billionaire said Wednesday during a stunning news conference in New Jersey. “I’m instructing our team to walk away from the deal.”

So, within the space of a minute, a trade the two teams had haggled over for months died in public.

“I didn’t have any control about Prokhorov canceling the meeting,” said Anthony, who had hidden from reporters in the couple of days leading up to Wednesday night’s game. “Prokhorov got tired of everything going on. . . . They pulled out. New Jersey is out of the picture.”

So, what now for the Nuggets?

The team still plans to trade Anthony by the Feb. 24 deadline in an effort to receive young, cheaper talent — and draft picks — before he becomes a free agent in the summer. But things suddenly got more difficult for an organization that focused hard on a deal with the Nets. A trade with New Jersey, however, was always contingent upon Anthony signing a contract extension, and he never indicated to New Jersey that he would or would not do so.

Nuggets executive Masai Ujiri declined to answer questions about the trade falling apart, other than to say management has been in talks with “plenty of teams” and there is no “negativity” toward New Jersey.

Contenders for Anthony’s services include the New York Knicks, his desired destination, along with, possibly, Houston, Chicago and Dallas. Sources have said in the past Houston would be agreeable to a trade without Anthony signing a contract extension.

If offered enough assets, it’s possible Denver could trade Anthony to a team with which he doesn’t want to sign the long-term deal. Asked if he was worried about becoming a rent-a-player — and not getting his $65 million extension — Anthony said: “I don’t think so. I hope not.”

The Nuggets had been in talks with New Jersey since late summer, and the proposed deal kept growing in recent weeks, with the latest incarnation including Denver sending Chauncey Billups and others in exchange for rookie Derrick Favors, former all-star Devin Harris, multiple draft picks and some bench players.

But as Nuggets coach George Karl suggested Wednesday, in regard to the trade talks, “I think I’ve been one of the guys hinting that this was a lot further away from happening than you all think.”

Although Anthony wants to go to the Knicks, if he doesn’t sign the three-year, $65 million contract extension, he would then opt out of his contract and be a free agent this summer. While New York president Donnie Walsh said this week he could pick up an additional first-round draft pick, and maybe two, it’s still believed the Knicks don’t have enough assets to entice Denver to trade its franchise player — unless the Knicks get other teams involved in the trade.

The Rockets, meanwhile, do have assets that could interest Denver, and a source said last fall that Anthony was intrigued by the idea of playing in Houston.

Dating to the summer, Anthony indicated that playing in New York or Chicago was his preference. The Bulls have been steadfast in maintaining that they won’t trade big man Joakim Noah, a player the Nuggets want. Anthony’s management team, according to Yahoo, has been trying to persuade Bulls management to revisit trade possibilities with the Nuggets.

Denver kept trying to squeeze more assets out of the Nets in recent weeks, believing that New Jersey would be willing to give up more. Then, the Nets would have a superstar to compete for headlines in the nation’s largest media market. Oh, and to sell suites. Anthony lived in Brooklyn until he was 9, and the Nets are moving to Brooklyn in 2012.

But Nets general manager Billy King said he got frustrated dealing with Denver. Asked what was most frustrating about the trade process with the Nuggets, King said: “Everything. . . . It was just, the process was different. (The Nuggets) had an ownership takeover, new management. It was the perfect storm for something to go wrong. . . . This time, it took on a life of its own.”

King said he wasn’t “startled” by Prokhorov’s decision. “There were times in my mind that I thought, ‘Enough was enough,’ ” he said.

Prokhorov was asked if he would reconsider a trade with the Nuggets — if Anthony, for instance, agreed to sign the contract extension.

“I was absolutely clear on this matter,” Prokhorov said.

As for a meeting with Anthony, Prokhorov said he was prepared to fly to Denver today but couldn’t get a straight answer on whether it would be worth his time.

“All the information was really mixed,” Prokhorov said. “There wasn’t any direct information. It was too complicated to continue.”

Karl, who has coached through a team distracted by the trade saga, described the situation this way: “My billionaire friend from Russia has thrown a curveball or knuckleball into the process. If it’s true, it’s true. If it’s a ploy in negotiation, then all that’s for the guys upstairs to figure out.”

The guys upstairs are Ujiri and team president Josh Kroenke, two energetic, first-time bosses whose legacy will be defined in large part by this trade.

“No” Jersey, so now what?

It’s unclear where the Nuggets will trade Carmelo Anthony by the Feb. 24 trade deadline, now that the New Jersey Nets seem to be out of the picture. NBA writer Benjamin Hochman looks at some possibilities:

New York Knicks Melo wants to play for this team, but New York has few assets to interest the Nuggets. Knicks president Donnie Walsh indicated this week he could pick up additional draft picks if it meant completing a trade for Anthony.

Houston Rockets Anthony has expressed interest in the past about playing in Houston. The Rockets have young players and draft picks that intrigue Denver, and they might be willing to take Anthony on a “rental” basis.

Chicago Bulls It is unlikely the Bulls would trade fourth-year center Joakim Noah, a player on whom the Nuggets have long had their eyes. But with Chicago a Melo-friendly destination, talks could accelerate.

Dallas Mavericks Without using Anthony’s name, owner Mark Cuban previously said he wouldn’t be opposed to “renting” a player for a run at an NBA title. And Cuban is willing to pay what it takes to make that run.

Benjamin Hochman was a sports columnist for The Denver Post until August 2015 before leaving for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, his hometown newspaper. Hochman previously worked for the New Orleans Times-Picayune, winner of two Pulitzer Prizes for its Hurricane Katrina coverage. Hochman wrote the Katrina-themed book “Fourth and New Orleans,” published in 2007.

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